Love Never Lasts
by MysteriousFunction
Summary: Hatsune Miku returns to the studio to find out that some of her friends are in bad shape, whilst others are far too excited to see her. She soon realizes that she wants a closer relationship with one of her friends, who is slowly slipping away. Contains themes of black comedy, bullying, suicide and violence, and is not for anyone of sensitive nature or offends easily.
1. A Warm Welcome Back

Chapter 1: A warm Welcome back

It was a warm, yet cloudy day as Hatsune Miku walked towards the large building that obscured her view of the sky.

"Ah, it's good to be back!" she sighed happily as she floated through the double doors.

"Miku-san! You're back!" the yellow-haired receptionist said. "How are you?"

"I'm great, Neru-san," Miku replied in her chirpy voice. "Where's Master?"

"Not here yet, but the majority of the others are upstairs. I expect you want to see them?"

"Yeah I'll take the elevator-"

Miku was cut off by the phone on Neru's desk, who picked it up.

"Hello? It's Akita Neru speaking. How can I help?" she said as she placed her spectacles on the desk. "Ah, it's for you." She added, handing the phone over to Miku.

"Hai?... Piko-chan! I-it's been a while!"

"I know it has, Miku-chan." A calm, quite nasal, voice replied through the phone.

"Nya! I love your new song, 'Play of Color'. I wish that I could hit the low notes like you, Piko-chan!"

Utatane Piko picked up the small glass that sat on the table in front of him, and took a gentle sip, then placed it back down.

"You're a girl, Miku-chan. I wonder whether you forget that sometimes…" he said, stifling a laugh.

Piko was one of the more 'professional' Vocaloids; however, he wasn't one of the most popular either.

He preferred his own company, and spent a lot of his free time at home.

He had become good friends with Hatsune Miku, a bubbly girl whom he found very likeable, after they met two years earlier. They usually talked to each other over the phone, but had lost contact while Miku took her summer break.

He curled his P-shaped ahoge around his index finger.

"So, how've you been keeping yourself busy?"

"Mmh, nothin' much. Hung around with some friends, watched some TV and…ooh!"

Miku hopped into the air, her long, teal-twin-tailed hair jumping up with her.

"Me and Kaito-chan went to the leek festival!" she exclaimed joyfully.

Piko chuckled at his friend, "Oh Miku-chan, you and your obsession with leeks cracks me up sometimes."

"Ha ha, I got Kaito-chan to try some leek ice-cream. He didn't enjoy it at all."

Piko chuckled again, yet he sounded a little nervous this time. "It doesn't sound very appetizing…" his voice trailed off, and was followed by a brief silence.

"P-Piko-chan? Are you okay?" Miku asked shyly.

Out of all of her friends, Piko was the one she worried about the most. Every time they met up, she had always acknowledged that something had changed. The first time they met, he seemed relaxed. The last time they met, he seemed tense. She knew that something was wrong.

"M-Miku-san, I-I have to go somewhere. R-right now. TTYL, okay?" Piko's voice had become urgent and breathless, as if he had just performed a vigorous task.

"Ya, TTYL…"

Miku seemed disappointed. She wished that Piko would talk to her more often, or hold a longer conversation. But Piko had described himself as 'busy' and had a 'tight schedule', so she assumed that he always had something to do. However, the amount of injuries she had seen him with made her mind work…

She handed the phone back to Neru, and let out a strong sigh.

"Miku-chan? Are you okay?" a familiar voice asked the teal-haired girl.

She turned around, and there stood her best friend:

Shion Kaito.

"I'm sure he's fine." He said in his warm voice, and gave Miku a gentle smile.

"I hope you're right…" she replied sadly.

She walked into the elevator, and Kaito followed.

Kaito was quite a bit taller than Miku, who was about 5'2", had deep blue hair and always wore a sky blue scarf loosely around his neck. Despite first impressions, Kaito was funny and caring, yet had an icy personality when he was around strangers.

The elevator jumped, and started to move up. Kaito looked down at his companion, and pushed up his black-rimmed glasses.

"Wh-what?" Miku said awkwardly. Kaito could give her a meanacing stare anytime, and it would always cheer her up a little.

"Have you spoken to Luka-san, recently?"

Miku blushed. Megurine Luka was her idol and she had an infatuation on her.

"N-no." She tittered, looking away from Kaito. "What about you and Meiko-san?"

Kaito also started blushing. Sakine Meiko was a good friend of his, and he had developed strong feelings for her in recent years.

"Um…I…We haven't…" He stuttered, shuffling about a little, and adjusted the strap on his guitar case.

"I'm only joking, Kaito-chan!" Miku said, and playfully punched her friend's arm.

The elevator stopped, followed by a "ding" and the doors opening. Miku and Kaito had only just stepped out when two figures jumped onto the teal-haired girl, and squeezed the breath out of her.

"Miku-chan!" the high-pitched voices said in unison.

"Ah, Rin, Len. It's good to see you again…" Miku said awkwardly.

"Rin, that's enough. Let Miku-chan go." Len said, trying to pull his sister off Miku.

"But she's so cuddly!" Rin shouted in reply, and hugged Miku tighter. Len simply looked at Miku sympathetically.

The Kagamine twins were like two peas in a pod, even though they had completely different personalities. They had a deep obsession with Miku, and were always excited to see her.

Len was quiet and earnest; he enjoyed reading books and experimenting with his singing voice. Rin, however, was boisterous and, at times, aggressive. She was always commanding her brother and never took her career seriously, stating that she "sings what she wants, when she wants".

Despite these differences, Rin and Len could never sing apart from each other. They would both have to be involved in the same song, whether as support, backing vocals or in a duet.

Len was about to reach out for his sister again, but Rin had obviously sensed this, and made a sharp, growling noise.

"Touch my back, Len, and you will never see Miku-chan's pretty face again!" She snarled.

"S-sorry, Ri-Rin!"

"Rin…What?!"

"Ah! R-Rin-sama! Wa-watashi no shazai, Rin-sama!" Len stuttered nervously, and stepped away from his sister.

"That's better." Rin snapped, and her grip loosened on Miku until she let go completely.

Miku stumbled backwards, dazed by the lack of breathing she had just done. Kaito caught her in the nick of time.

"A…arigatou." She said.

"Miku-san? Are you okay?" a smooth voice asked.


	2. Familiar Faces

Chapter 2: Familiar faces

"Miku-san?" The voice repeated. It was sweet, yet very mature, and had a hint of huskiness to it.

Miku stood up straight, her face becoming bright red and flustered as the pink-haired woman walked towards her.

"I'm okay! I'm alright, Luka-san!" she yelped.

Luka stood and stared at the girl, then let out a small, yet distinct laugh.

"You're so funny, Miku-san!" she said happily.

"I…I am?" Miku replied, confused. "Oh! I mean, I _am_!"

Luka laughed again. She was a very friendly person, but many people called her "mysterious". She could be apprehensive at times, especially when her mobile rang. She was slim, standing at 5'4", and had pale blue eyes. She was a very talented musician and an amateur artist, being able to play a wide range of instruments and loved to draw her friends in a simple, yet attractive style.

"Master called me to tell everyone that he would be late due to a traffic jam." She said, then checked her phone.

Miku knew what she was going to say next.

"Oh…tell everyone else that he's going to be late. I need to go and see Gaku-chan. See you guys around."

Luka walked hastily into the elevator, a worried expression on her face. She looked directly at Miku, and gave her a small smile, before the doors closed.

Miku sat down on one of the chairs that surrounded the table she was standing next to before, and gave out a deep sigh. Kaito sat in the chair next to her, while the twins looked at the distressed girl.

"Miku-chan, I can get you some orange juice if that'll cheer you up?" Rin said sweetly.

"Rin, she doesn't like oranges in general…" Len replied.

"Oh, and _you _can give her something better, banana-boy?"

"Actually, yes. Yes I can."

The twins shared a brief moment of silence. They simply stared at each other, until Rin grabbed Len's drawstring on his hoodie and dragged him out of the room.

Miku giggled. Despite the twins being excruciatingly annoying, she had to admit that they were very funny when they argued.

"Ah! M-Meiko-san's coming! Quick, hide me!" Kaito suddenly burst out as a brown-haired woman walked in.

He dived under the table, and Miku had to restrain her laughter.

"Konichiwa, Miku-san!" Meiko greeted. "How are you today? Haven't seen you since before your break."

"I'm great, how about you?" Miku replied with a big smile plastered on her face.

"Excited to be back, and I bet you are too. Seen Kaito-san, anywhere?"

Miku had to prevent herself from revealing Kaito's location. "Haven't seen him. Sorry."

"That's too bad. Well, I'll see you later anyway."

"Before you go, I need to tell everyone that Master will be late. Pass on the message to anyone else you see."

"Okay, I will. Thanks for telling me. Bye."

"Bye."

Meiko walked away, and picked up the electric piano that sat by the recording room.

Miku kicked Kaito, who started to emerge from the table, then hit his head. Miku burst into fits of laughter.

"Ow! That hurt even more than an extreme case of brain freeze!" he said, sitting back into the chair.

Miku burst into more laughter. Kaito was as obsessed with ice cream as she was with leeks. It wasn't unlike him to say something like that.

"You okay?" Miku said.

"Yeah," Kaito replied, rubbing his head. "Maybe she wants to sing a duet with me?"

"Who knows?..." Miku looked away from her friend, thinking about something else.

She started to shake as she went deeper into thought.

"Miku-chan, you okay?" Kaito tried getting the girl's attention, but it was no use.

She was completely lost in thought.

Because the word "duet" had triggered something in her mind.

Something about Piko.

She remembered their last song together, how it had gone from a pleasant practice, to Piko collapsing in agony.

She remembered him coughing and spluttering, yet how he kept on smiling at her, telling her that everything was okay.

How the saliva had eventually turned into blood.

And how he had left the studio, casually wiping the blood away from the side of his mouth, acting as if it was completely normal.

"Miku-chan?"

"I'm fine!" she shouted.

"…Miku-chan, I want to help but if you act like that then I won't be able to." Kaito put his hand on her shoulder.

Miku looked at his hand, at the chipped off blue nail varnish, and a tear fell down her cheek

"I just…" she stammered. "I just need some space!"

She pushed his hand off, stood up, ran out of the room, and rushed off down the corridor in a flood of tears, ignoring people's calls of attention. Kaito watched as his friend disappeared into the distance, he could do nothing more than that. And if he did, he would only make things worse.

Miku eventually got to her destination, the toilet stalls. She locked herself in the middle stall, and sobbed uncontrollably.

"Piko-chan, Piko-chan. What's happening to you? Why are you keeping this from me? **Something's not right at all!**" she yelled, banging on the door. "**Why are you changing!**"

Miku fell slowly to the floor, and brought her knees up to her chest, her crying subsiding.

"Where did the old Piko go?" she whispered. "Can he hear me now?"

She looked up at the ceiling, and made a small ticking noise with her tongue, until she started to sing.

"Piko-chan. Doko e itta no?" her sweet voice sang the familiar melody of her song "Black Rock Shooter". "Kikoemasu ka?"

The corridor was uninhabited, so no one could hear her. Except for the young, silver-haired man just about to exit the empty office.

Miku started to hum quietly, though she got louder as the young man walked towards the bathroom stalls.

"Ato dore dake sakeba, ii no darou. Ato dore dake nakeba, ii no darou!" her singing voice started again, getting stronger as she let out her feelings. "Mou yamete omoi o, kizutsukete. Sore wa ni tsu-chuu ni sekai bunretsuda."

Suddenly, the cubical door flung open, and Miku hit her head on the hard floor.

"Hatsune-kun? What on earth are you doing here?" the young man said, looking down at the surprised girl. Her eyes started to well up with tears. "A-are you okay?"

Miku started to cry again, and the young man simply looked at her with a confused expression.

"H-Hatsune-kun, please! D-don't cry! Wh-why are you crying? A-are you upset?"

Stupid question. She obviously **was** upset.

"Honne-kun, it's really stupid…I…" she drifted off into silence, and looked away from the young man, hiding her face.

"Pi-Piko-chan…" she whispered sadly.

"Oh! Ah, um, Hatsune-kun…" The young man shuffled from left to right as he thought of something appropriate to say.

Honne Dell was described by many as strange, mysterious and antisocial. In fact, all of this was true.

He was a workaholic, and didn't really have any friends. He found it hard to understand other people's emotions, yet he would always be the first person someone went to if they were in a bad situation with a friend.

Why? Because Dell was smart. Of course he would say some things that people wouldn't like to hear about their friends, but it would always turn out to be very useful later.

Dell hated the sound of his own voice, so this was probably why he avoided communicating with people.

"Well, tell me about what happened." He said in his serious, almost monotone voice. He sat next to the teal-haired girl, putting his arm around her neck.

"He's being acting so strangely. He seems to get a lot of injuries too. A-and that duet…" Miku said shakily. "…I don't even want to think about that duet."

"Hmmm…Hatsune-kun, have you tried confronting him at all?" Dell shifted a little, feeling uncomfortable.

"I can't… What if he hates me afterward? I don't want him to hate me!"

"…Hatsune-kun, do you… like him?"

"As a friend, yes."

"No, I mean; do you_ like_ like him?"

Miku paused for a second before she replied. "No, I don't like him in that way..." Although, she wasn't sure that was her final answer.

"Okay, well, Hatsune-kun, next time I see him, I'll have a word with him. Won't mention you at all. Promise."

He held out his pinkie finger, shaking slightly. Miku looked at his finger, then hugged him softly.

"Arigatou, Deru-san." She said into his ear.

"Okay, Miku-san. I'm sure you'll be fine." He replied, and gently pushed the girl off of him. They stood up, and Dell leaned on the cubicle wall, hunched over slightly.

"Ah, I'll leave you to it."

"Thanks, and please don't worry about it."

Miku walked out of the bathroom, taking a glance back at Dell, and smiled at him. He waved back at her, then shut the door, and Miku made her way back through the corridor.

**Modified "Black Rock Shooter" lyrics English translation:**

**Piko-chan**

**Where did you go?**

**Can you hear me now?**

**I don't know how much more you want me to shout.**

**I don't know how much more you need me to cry out.**

**Stop it, you're hurting my feelings.**

**The world we once shared, you've torn it apart.**


	3. Piko's Assistant

Chapter 3: Piko's Assistant

"Utatane-kun, I brought you your- Aaaaah!"

The cherry-red-haired girl dropped the tray of hot drinks, which spilt everywhere. She rushed over to the singer, who was hunched over in his seat.

"Utatane-kun! What's wrong?"

Piko looked at the distressed girl, and took his hand away from his face, to reveal a very heavy nosebleed.

"I'm fine…" he croaked, smiling at her.

"N-no, no you're not. You need medical attention-"

"I don't need anything, Miki!" Piko snapped back at her.

"…L-let me get you some tissue. How long have you been like this?"

"About an hour."

"About an hour? Utatane, you could've dropped dead by now! Look at how pale your skin is! Sittin' in here all the time isn't going to help either! You need to-"

"-Look after myself. I know, I know. You tell me that all the time, Miki."

"…I know."

They looked directly into each other's eyes for a few moments, until Miki pushed some of Piko's hair out of his eyes. They leaned into each other a little, their cheeks flushing a deeper pink as they got closer to each other.

"Stop that." He giggled, pushing the girl away.

"Stay here, I'll be right back." She said, smiling at him.

Miki walked out of the room, taking a glance back to check that Piko was still in his seat.

She proceeded to the cupboard near her room, and picked out two rolls of tissue paper.

SF-A2 Miki was a strange girl, but it would probably be more appropriate if she was called an 'android'.

If one was to look at her bare arms or legs, you could see that she was, indeed, an android, because of the visible joints and almost miniscule screws.

She was kind and caring, and was always concerned about her friends' health.

Especially Piko's, as she was his assistant.

However, she was short-tempered, and it irritated her that people didn't take their health problems seriously.

"Here," she said as she handed Piko a roll of tissue paper.

"Thanks,"

He covered his nose with the paper so that he didn't make a mess of the floor, and pinched the bridge of his nose with his other hand.

It was a while until the bleeding started to subside, and Miki could tell that Piko was thinking deeply about something.

"What're you thinking about?"

"Me? Oh nothing, it was just…when should I do a live concert?"

Miki knew he was lying, but she daren't say anything. They both knew that he wasn't fit enough to perform on stage.

They engaged in a couple of more minutes of silence, until Miki spoke again.

"I know you hung up on Hatsune-kun, earlier,"

Piko gave her a confused expression, as if he had no idea what she was talking about.

"Hatsune Miku, your friend." Miki was trying to jog his memory.

Piko was obviously dazed from the vast blood loss which was still occurring to him.

"The spring onion girl."

"Ah yes! Hatune Miki! I regret stopping the phone on him!" Piko's voice was becoming strained, and his sentences were making almost no sense. It was clear that he was losing consciousness.

"He was nice. I love them a lot."

Miki's electrical current stopped.

Did Piko just say that he _loved_ Hatsune Miku?

Or was he trying to emphasize what good friends they were?

Whatever he was trying to say, Miki definitely got the message that he had passed out on the floor.

She stood up, and walked slowly towards the unconscious boy.

"You're okay, Piko-chan. You're safe with me." Miki soothed as she kneeled down next to him.

She stroked his silver hair, curling her dainty fingers around his P-shaped ahoge.

His nose had stopped bleeding, so he was safe to be picked up.

"Come on, Piko-chan. It's time for bed." She said as she picked him up gently, and carried him out into the next room.

She turned on the light, and proceeded to put him on the bed. His pale skin was almost white, and was slightly red-stained on his face.

Miki laid him on the bed, and picked up a photo frame which sat on his bedside table, and looked at its contents.

It was a picture of Piko and Miku wearing their "LAT" styled outfits, an arm around each other's shoulders.

She placed it back on the table, despite having a strong urge to throw it across the room.

"Goodnight, Piko-chan."

Miki wiped away the rest of the blood, and placed a kiss on his pale lips. Piko gave a small, sweet smile, as if he had felt the raw mechanical love flow from the android girl's heart.

"Sweet dreams." She added, turning off the light, and walking out the room.


	4. Master Arrives

Chapter 4: Master Arrives

Megupoid Gumi was surprised to find the building almost completely empty.

She had passed through the whole building, and was curious about the low whispers that emerged from the other Vocaloids.

"What on earth has happened here?" she asked Neru.

"Miku-san, Utatane Piko, some crap happened between them, blah blah blah…"

"Um…okay."

Gumi sat down by the small coffee table, and started to brush her spiky green hair. She didn't have anything else to do, and didn't have a reason to be in the building. She simply came to pass time.

The front doors opened, and a young man with dark brown hair walked in.

"Ohaiyo, Master!" Neru said as he approached her desk.

"Good morning, Neru-san. How's our golden-haired girl today?" he said, ruffling up Neru's hair.

"Amazing, actually. Feelin' good yourself?" Neru replied, blushing slightly.

"Mhm, is Hatsune anywhere?"

"Yes, upstairs. She was outside Studio 3, but I've heard some things and…she isn't doing very well. However, I do know that Kaito-kun is still there, though. You should probably go and speak to him."

"Okay, thanks Neru-san."

They shook hands, and departed.

"Gumi, you've got a new song. It's a duet with Miku." Master said to Gumi, who was still brushing her hair.

"Ah! Why didn't you tell me before? I only came here today 'cos I don't have anything else to do!"

"I told Kaai Yuki to deliver the message to 'the green haired girl'. Didn't it get to you?"

"No, Sonika or FL-chan must've got it instead."

"Oh, oops."

They started to laugh, and had a hand on each other's shoulders.

"We'd better go and find her then." Gumi said, taking her hand off his shoulder.

"Yeah, never know where she could be," Master replied, and the duo headed towards the elevator.

"Kaito-san? What's wrong?" Miriam asked the blue-haired man, who was pacing up and down.

"Ah, um, I-it's Miku. I accidentally said something and-and-" Kaito was trembling, and he was covered in sweat. It was clear that he was upset. "…sh-she went off crying."

He paused, and looked at the short, grey-haired woman. Her light blue eyes were filled with curiosity.

"It's all my fault…" he said weakly. Kaito buried his head into his hands, and sat in the chair behind him.

"I'm sure it's not _all_ your fault, Kaito-san. You're overreacting." Miriam replied, and set a hand on his shoulder. "You do that a lot."

"I-I know, I've just never seen her so upset like that, it-it's…" Kaito looked at Miriam, then back at the drink on the table. Tears started falling from his deep blue eyes, and his lips started to quiver.

"…E-excuse me…"

Miriam watched as the tall Vocaloid picked up his guitar case, and walked into the next room. She saw him take out a small mobile phone, type in some numbers, and hold the device up to his ear and mouth.

She sneaked closer to the door, so that she could hear him speak.

"H-hello? It's Kaito, who's that? Ah, Mokaito. L-look, I'm coming home early, and I'm not going to do guitar lessons with Nigaito to-tonight. Because I feel like shit, okay? Miku-chan broke down, and it's my fault that she did. Good enough reason? All right, see you in about twenty minutes. Bye."

He pressed a button on the phone, and placed it back in his pocket.

Miriam quickly sat down as Kaito re-entered the room.

"Everything alright?"

"Yeah, I'm gonna go home and call Miku-chan in the morning."

"Oh, are you heading straight off?"

"Nah, I'll have a quick walk round town and pick up Nigaito's tablets. Damn kid needs at least fifteen a day. I'm surprised he hasn't dropped dead from either illness or overdose yet."

Miriam looked at him with a shocked expression.

"Does he hate his little brother_ that_ much?" she thought.

"…I should go." Kaito said as he caught the woman's horrified face.

"Yeah, you should if you don't feel good, or if _someone_ in your _family_ isn't very well." Miriam's voice was chilling, she put emphasis on certain words, and her face was dark.

"…goodbye, Miriam." Kaito said uncomfortably.

"Bye!" Miriam was now chirpy, and a smile was plastered on her face as she waved at Kaito, who was walking towards the elevator door.

"…and he wasn't here on Sunday."

"That's odd; Dell is almost never off work."

"Mhm, but I think that he's in today as I saw his name on the sign-in on Neru's desk…"

The duo looked forwards, and saw that the elevator had stopped. Kaito was standing in front of them, looking a little distressed.

"Ah, Kaito-san! Just the man I wanted to see!" Master said happily, and put his arm around Kaito's shoulders.

"Okay? You don't want me to sing, do you? 'cos I really am not in the mood for that right now…" Kaito said in a plain voice.

"No, that's what Meiko wants you to do." Kaito was surprised by this fact, and his heart skipped a beat.

He simpered as he imagined singing a song with the woman he loved.

"So why do you want me?" he tittered a little, still not feeling too good.

"Neru said that you may know something about the disappearance of Hatsune Miku."

Kaito looked at the green-eyed man with a blank expression.

"S-see what I did there?" Master giggled, looking back and forth at Gumi and Kaito.

Gumi laid her head in her hand, and tears welled up in Kaito's eyes again.

"…Piss off…" he said disgustedly, and pushed Master away from him.

He closed the elevator door, and he started to sob quietly as it descended to the reception.

"…Probably not the best thing to have said, Master. You know how sensitive he is when something bad happens to Hatsune Miku." Gumi said.

"And you know how much he needs to lighten up." Master replied, scowling a little.

"Yep. Come on, let's ask Miriam if she knows anything."

"You called?" Miriam suddenly piped up, and was standing right in front of the green-haired girl.

"Heard anything about Miku?" Master questioned the grey-haired woman.

"Yes! Yes I have! Just spoke to Kaito and, well; she is not a happy bunny."

"And neither is he," Gumi said lowly to Master.

"Any ideas where Miku is now?"

"I'm right here, Master." A cute voice said, "Is everything okay?"

Master, Miriam and Gumi stared at the teal-haired girl. Her eyes were red, and she was still sniffling a little.

"Yes, we're all fine. Are you? …'cos you really don't look it." Master said.

"Not one hundred per cent, but I'm better than I was." Miku replied.

"Well, I don't think you're fit enough for a practise, but I'll give you the lyrics sheet and send over the instrumental once it's done." He replied, and handed her and Gumi a sheet each. "It's a duet." He added.

Miku paused, and that horrible memory returned.

But she didn't let it affect her.

She ignored it as much as she could.

"Thank you, Master." She said, and walked into the elevator. "See you later."

"Okay, Miku. Take care." Master replied, waving at the girl.

"Bye, Miku-san." Gumi and Miriam said in unison.

"Bye." Miku said as the elevator door closed, and started to descend back down to the reception.


	5. Troubled Friends

Chapter 5: Troubled Friends

_Warning: This chapter contains bullying of a character and a different character encouraging them to commit suicide. If you are of a sensitive nature, you've done well to get this far, but I highly suggest you turn back now if you do not want to be upset by any of the above details. Thank you for reading what you have._

"I shouldn't have done that…I really shouldn't have done that…"

Miki was pacing up and down her room, hugging her almost naked body.

She sat on her bed, and looked at the small, Piko plush toy which sat next to her pillow.

"I need to check if he's awake."

The android girl slipped on a large blue jumper, which covered up most of her body, and walked back into Piko's room.

"I'm sorry I'm late, Gaku-chan…" Luka mumbled, looking down at the floor.

"And what is your excuse?" the tall, purple-haired man questioned. "You only went in to deliver that message. How could that have taken you half an hour to do?"

"It was Miku-san, she-"

"I told you not to approach that girl-"

"Gakupo, let me explain." Luka said firmly.

Kamui Gakupo was another 'professional' Vocaloid. At 6'1", many people found him intimidating, but his height wasn't the only reason for this.

He had a reputation for being a 'bad boy', not to mention the giant katakana he had at all times.

"I went into the building to deliver the message—as you know—and ended up talking to Sonika for about five minutes. I then went upstairs to find Leon and or Lola, as they are usually in charge when Master isn't around and could have made an announcement, but as I walked into the first corridor, I saw Miku fall backwards into Kaito. Concerned for my friend, I asked if she was okay. She was. Total time there was about five minutes."

"So what about the other twenty?"

"…It was Neru; she wanted a word with me about Dell and Haku. She wants you to leave Dell alone from now on."

"Why is mine and Dell's relationship suddenly her business?" Gakupo snapped.

"You don't understand his current situation." Luka said, turning away.

"And what _is_ his current situation?"

"…I really can't say. Neru didn't tell me, but all I know is that it's very serious. _Very_ serious."

Gakupo chuckled to himself. Not only did he have a reputation of being a bad boy, he also had a reputation of being a bully.

"You think that you can fool me? Do you think that can be your excuse for being late for your own boyfriend?" he hissed, "Do you know what I'm capable of?"

"Gaku-chan, please!" Luka cried, tears falling down her cheeks. "We go through this every time. Do you think that I'm making this up? Do you think I'm crying real tears?"

Luka looked directly into his piercing cyan eyes, a mixture of both sadness and anger in her own.

"…Do you think _I'm_ real?"

Gakupo looked down at his pretty girlfriend, who started to wrap her arms around his waist, and bury her face into his chest.

"Well, do you?"

Kaito had watched the whole episode from the pharmacist window. The way Gakupo attempted to control Luka angered him, but he understood why he did; Gakupo was afraid of being heart-broken again.

"Shion-kun, what're you doing here?" a young man asked.

"I'm picking up my brother's medication, what about you?" Kaito replied, looking at him.

"…you've been crying, haven't you? Your eyes are red."

"Why is it your business?"

"Because I know why you're cry-"

"You don't know a bloody thing!"

"Actually, I do know quite a few things-"

"Dell, shut up. Please."

Kaito proceeded to move forward in the queue, but Dell pulled him out.

"It's about Hatsune Miku." Dell said, lowly yet urgently.

"…go on."

"Has she been acting odd at all?"

"Yes. Can't you tell?"

Dell shuffled about, "N-no, not too well…" he stuttered.

"Hmph. I should have thought you'd say something like that."

"I just want to know more about her problem so I can help." Dell mumbled, looking down.

"All I know is that Miku-chan is unable to spend more time with Utatane Piko. There, is that enough info?"

"Could you elaborate a little bit more? I'll need all the help I can to-"

"_You_ need help? Pal, you're not getting any help for your problems." Kaito hissed. "And you want to help Miku-chan? Believe me, Dell…"

Dell's hands were shaking as Kaito attempted to tower over him.

"You're useless. You're no help to either of us because you're helpless yourself. You don't understand emotions properly; you don't sleep…when was the last time you ate?"

"S-stop it." His eyes were becoming wide, and his thin, bony hands were clung tightly around the knot of his tie.

"You don't eat, do you? Somehow, you survive on coffee and cigarettes every day. Or do you survive on blood? 'Cos, y'know, your skin is pale enough for you to be a vampire."

"Shion-kun, I…"

"How are you still alive? Or, why are you still alive?"

Kaito pulled the glasses off Dell's fragile face.

"No one acknowledges your existence, so why don't you end it?"

Kaito snapped the glasses in half, and Dell's eyes became watery.

"F-fine! I will end my own life! I'll see if anyone cares!" Dell suddenly shouted, bursting into tears.

The young, silver-haired man ran out of the pharmacist, head buried in his hands.

Kaito soon realized that he had made a scene, as other customers had started murmuring and were giving 'dirty looks' in his direction.

He also realized that he had taken out all his anger, from not being able to help Miku, on Dell, who was almost emotionless.

"_No one acknowledges your existence, so why don't you end it?"_

"Did I actually say that?" he questioned himself, looking down at the broken glass on the floor.

"Shit…what have I done?"

He had hurt the most unbreakable Vocaloid he knew.

Now his reputation would be worse than Gakupo's.


	6. I like you

Chapter 6: I like you…

"…and I guess that's why I kissed you." Miki mumbled, sitting next to the unconscious boy. "I've hidden my feelings for a long time, and I really wanted to show you them. You're just so…cute. And talented. And…perfect, even though you're slowly fading away."

Miki picked up the photo frame and examined its contents, letting out a large sigh.

"But you have her…she has a better chance of getting your love than me."

She looked down at his face, his skin had finally returned to its usual pale, dusky pink colour. Not a healthy colour for most people, but it was healthy for Piko.

"You've been out for about an hour now, you need your medication. Wake up, Utatane-kun."

The mobile phone on his bedside table started to vibrate, and Miki quickly picked it up to read the message:

From: Hatsune Miku

Sent: 1:03PM

Message: Hi Piko-chan :) r u ok? Health still bad? Plz reply, rly worried bout u :(

"Bitch!" Miki yelled, throwing the photo frame across the room.

"Miki-san! What the hell?!" Piko exclaimed, sitting up too quickly. "My head…"

"You're awake!"

"Yes…and what the bloody hell was that smash…?" he asked weakly.

"Um, um…the photo frame…"

"Miki, you need to get that checked out. What made you flip?"

"Th-this…" she mumbled, handing him the mobile phone.

"_That_ made you flip?"

"It's a girl thing…you wouldn't understand…"

"Oh, Miki…"

"I'm going to go get your meds."

Miki walked out of the room, and Piko replied to the text message.

"Hi Miku-chan. Yes my health doesn't seem to be getting any better, but as long as I'm still breathing, it means I'm still living. Smiley face and…send." He said as he typed in those exact words

"Here," Miki said, handing Piko the two large tablets and a glass half filled with an oddly coloured translucent liquid. "I don't know how you can bear to take these every day, they're huge and the drink makes me feel sick just looking at it."

"Well, don't forget I need this stuff to live." He replied, swallowing one tablet with some of the liquid. "…Thanks Miki. I guess without you, I'd be…well, dead."

"Oh, um…you're welcome." Miki said.

"I'm sorry about the times I shouted at you, I guess I take my anger out on you because I'm angry about not being able to live as long as most people."

"I should be apologizing to you for throwing that frame…again."

"Why do you stay by me Miki-san? I treat you like you're only my assistant, but…" Piko held the girl's synthetic hands. "…you're my friend. I treat you like your nothing, so why do you care?"

"Because…" He didn't remember what she had said earlier.

"…you're my only friend. No one cares about a robot girl. They think she's emotionless, runs by battery, and…stereotypical. She only lives to serve you dinner, remind you of your appointments, and keep the house clean."

Miki stopped her monologue, realizing that she was describing herself.

"Is that really how I live? Wow, no wonder I'm unsatisfied with life."

"M-Miki? Are you decent?" Piko asked, hiding just behind the door frame. "I-I need to ask you something."

"Um, yes. What is it, Utatane-kun?"

"I've been thinking…and well, I don't particularly know how to put this, but…"

He looked away from the pretty android girl, and took a deep breath.

"Do you…like me?"

Miki looked down at the little plush toy on her pillow, and giggled a little.

"Oh, yeah. I guess that question was a little stupid." Piko sighed, and was about to leave when Miki opened the door fully.

"Wait," she said. "You didn't give me a chance to answer."

Piko started to walk away from her, letting out a heavy sigh.

"You don't need to."

"But I want to." Miki peeped, grabbing his hand.

"Let go Miki. I have to go."

"No. I was given to you for a reason. Your mother died when she gave birth and your father died when you were five. You were unknown to the public, nobody knew about your declining health until you became a singer."

She gripped his hand tighter, and her eyes were full of emotions.

"I was just a standard maid robot when I first heard your singing. My old master noticed how fascinated I was with the human voice, so he gave me a synthetic one. It was flanged and choppy, the stereotype. I managed to utilize it to be able to sing. Master was so supportive of my talent, but I didn't understand why it made him so happy; all I was doing was imitating singers."

Piko was quiet, as if he didn't know what to say. His eyes were blank, and the way his head was hung made most of his hair cover his face.

"Then master fell ill. Out of his three maids, I was the only one who tried to care for him. I didn't understand why I was doing it. It was like being in a trance. Then master died. He said 'thank you' in his last moments with me. I didn't feel sad. That's an emotion, something I didn't understand back then. I felt like I had lost part of my programming. I was confused, and started to forget important things."

She loosened her grip, but didn't let go.

"Then a girl introduced me to you. That day, something inside me changed. I started to feel stuff. You were in the same state as master; denial about your illness. I didn't want to lose another part of myself.

The girl new what we needed; love. You taught me how to fear. You taught me how to smile. You taught me how to shout. You taught me how to feel. I had to return that favour, but you were having none of it."

She giggled, smiling at him.

"I guess that's where my anger comes from."

He didn't respond.

"Do you remember that day? The day my voice became what it is today?"

Miki let go of his hand, and solemnly watched it fall to Piko's side.

"It was the day I realized you were fading away."

It was almost as if Miki was staring at a statue. Piko was looking even more lifeless than when he was unconscious.

"You and I eventually developed personalities. I was open and lively, you were withdrawn and shy. You still are. I wish you could open up a little, perhaps then you would understand why I will always stand by you. Forever."

She walked away, and left Piko in his spot.

"I like you a lot more than you think." Miki murmured.


	7. Oliver!

Chapter 7: Oliver!

_Stupid Imaginary World_

_One, two, one two three four!_

_An image that is thought too much about,_

_Everyone can see it, there's no doubt._

_But the world does nothing but change,_

_It's his crazy, patched-up imagination!*_

Miku was intrigued by the odd lyrics Master had written for her and Gumi to sing. It described an imaginary world, where everything is constantly changing, and two girls decide to try and suppress his imagination, but they then realize that there's nothing they could do because they don't control their bodies.

She liked the idea that the two girls weren't in control, but she felt like something was missing.

"Everyone is too happy," she thought, "I think I'll edit this when I get home. I have some good ideas…"

Miku decided to take the long route home; she was in need of some relaxation, and this route was very scenic: the walk by the isolated river to the beautiful crystal-clear fountain placed on the snow-white tiles in the centre of the local park. There was always a gorgeous view of the sky and was the kind of place couples would go to at night.

She went through all the ideas whizzing around in her head: an irritating tune, singers not being able to sing, falling apart… and a person split into two; one trapped inside the other; a person within a person.

The last one caught her attention most. _Trapped inside the other; a person within a person. _Wasn't there a word for that? A word from another language. What was it, again?

She couldn't remember the word, but she knew that her emotions were feeding her imagination. Perhaps she was ready to sing again.

"Afternoon, Miku!" a boy yelled as he sped past on his bike.

"Hi, Oliver!" she replied. "How are you?"

Oliver bought his bike to a stop, and walked backwards towards the teal-haired girl.

"I'm alright; my eye still hurts, though. Got to go for another operation next week."

"You're always so clumsy…" Miku chuckled.

Little Oliver was one of the few English Vocaloids. He was always offering to help and had big ambitions of becoming a ship captain. Most Vocaloids enjoyed his company, because he was charmingly friendly and had a beautiful choir-boy voice.

He was forever getting injuries, and had recently damaged his right eye badly.

"Are you okay now? I heard you were upset…"

"I'm alright. It's just Piko again. I sent him a text earlier, but he hasn't replied. He really worries me."

"Aw Miku, I'm sure he's fine. You're a beautiful girl, talented with your powerful singing and graceful dance moves. I understand how and why he worries you, and I bet he's worried about you too. Please don't stress yourself; I don't want to see tears rolling down your cheeks."

A sharp "bleep" sound filled the air, and Miku pulled her phone out from her pocket.

From: Utatane Piko

Sent: 1:08 PM

Message: Hi Miku-chan. Yes my health doesn't seem to be getting any better, but as long as I'm still breathing, it means I'm still living :)

"Hm, I'll text him back when I get home."

"Would you like me to walk with you? We live on the same street, so…" Oliver asked, a hint of shyness in his voice.

"That'd be nice."

The duo walked past the river, bumping into a few of their friends on the way. Miku could feel Oliver's gaze on her as they approached the park.

"What's wrong, Oliver?" she questioned.

"Um, this'll sound, like, really weird, but…"

Oliver looked down, twiddling his thumbs and fiercely blushing.

"I really like you, but you're sixteen, and I'm only thirteen…" he stuttered. "I understand that we can't have a relationship like that, which I can live with. But w-while I have the opportunity to…"

He held out his hand, and looked up at the speechless girl.

"C-can I hold your hand, please?"

Miku giggled, and smiled warmly at the young boy.

"Of course." She said, and gently clutched his hand.

The two Vocaloids carried on walking, giving each other awkward looks. Oliver had hid his feelings for Miku very well, and goodness knows for how long. She had always thought he had liked Rin, as he was always trying to get her attention.

"So, um, what's on that paper, Miku?"

"Hm? Oh, some lyrics Master wants me to sing with Gumi. I want to change some of them when I get home."

"Your first day back and you're already put to work?" Oliver said jokingly.

"Ha, you make it sound much worse than it is."

Miku felt at ease; having Oliver as company usually had that effect on people, but today it was…different. It was a cosy, warm feeling ease. Was it because she was holding his hand? Miku certainly hadn't done that in a while.

"Could I ask why you took a break?" Oliver questioned as they approached the fountain.

"…I just wanted to give my voice a rest; I was starting to suffer from a sore throat constantly, so…"

"Seems legit. What did you do?"

"I saw a new movie with my half-sister, Zatsune Micu, did a lot of shopping for clothes, and what else?… Ah! Me and Kaito went to the annual leek festival…"

"Trust you to drag him to a place like that."

"…as more than just friends…"

"…'More than just friends'? You mean…?" Oliver asked in bewilderment.

"Yes, a couple. We were an item. But…"

Miku pulled her hand away from Oliver, and watched two children playing; a girl and a boy of ages five and ten.

"We knew that it would never work out. He's twenty-one, and I'm sixteen. A five year age-gap. It wasn't right for us to be together, but as friends…I've never been so sure of anything in my life."

She continued to watch the two children, but then turned to Oliver.

"Nobody knows except for me and Kaito. Can you keep it that way?"

"Of course. It's safe with me."

"Thanks, you're a real friend."

Oliver watched Miku sit on a bench and bring out a pen.

"I-I should get going, Nana will be worrying about me." He told the girl as he walked over to her.

"It's fine with me, you're free to go."

"…A-and I'm sorry for making you tell me about you being an item with Kaito. You were obviously uncomfortable about it; I shouldn't have made you elaborate on it…"

"I told you because you understood what it's like. Also, I can trust you."

"Well okay, I'll leave you to it."

Oliver was about to get on his bike when Miku gripped his shoulder.

"Wait." She said, bending down to Oliver's height. "Would you like to walk to the studio with me tomorrow?"

"Um, sure!" Oliver replied happily.

"Thanks,"

Miku took off the large sailor hat he was sporting, and brushed away his blonde hair.

She then laid a small kiss on his forehead.

"See you then," she said cheerfully, and walked back to the bench.

Oliver started to pedal on his bike, and looked into the distance with a truly happy expression.

Perhaps being an orphan wasn't so bad after all.

_*These are the first verses of Hachi-P's "Matryoshka", modified by me using some lyrics from my original song, "Delightfully Insane", which is yet to be made._


End file.
